Blue Moon Rising

City captain Carlos Tevez lifts the FA Cup after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Stoke at Wembley

Manchester City 1-0 Stoke

When Sheikh Mansour took control of the reins at Manchester City in August 2008, it seemed a matter of when the club would win a trophy rather than if.

And at Wembley on Saturday, 35 long years of hurt for City fans came to an end when Yaya Toure wrote his name in history to seal a 1-0 victory over Stoke in the FA Cup final.

It wasn't a game that will live long in the memory for quality and excitement but the occasion and sense of triumph is something City fans will never forget.

They say your first trophy is the most difficult one to win. After all, it took Sir Alex Ferguson four years to win his first major trophy at Manchester United.

As Roberto Mancini said in his post-match interview, managers at the highest level do not get that much time to deliver success any more but even so he should be given enormous credit for delivering a trophy within 17 months of taking charge.

He may have spent in the region of £150million since taking charge, but he deserves praise regardless for the way he has defied the critics and overcome adversity to deliver success.

He has been criticised many times this season - at times deservedly - for his defensive style of football and natural cautiousness, but City fans adore him because he has finally ended the trophy drought.

The '35 years' banner at Old Trafford representing how long City had gone without a trophy can now be ripped from the Stretford End and consigned to the history books.

City fans will still be ridiculed by their rivals for their 'lack of history' and because they have 'bought success', but the truth is City are now a real force and not merely 'noisy neighbours' that can be swept aside.

City fans revelled as their 35-year wait for a trophy came to an end

City are one of just a handful of clubs whose fans have stuck with them despite a lack of trophies - Newcastle is another example of this - and that fanbase deserves this trophy. Too long they have lived in the shadows and now is their moment in the limelight.

There were fears City's triumph may have been overshadowed by Manchester United's title win in the early kick-off at Blackburn, but the level of love and respect for the FA Cup is clear to see as fans have battled to ensure it is given the recognition it deserves.

The anger many have shown at Premier League games being played on FA Cup final Saturday shows the cup is still at the forefront of peoples' minds and not a meaningless add-on.

It was a pity for the occasion that the game did not live up to its promise and Stoke did not really turn up on the day.

Both sides seemed scared to lose and scared to concede, with Stoke seemingly lost in the occasion. They did battle hard and never gave up but they will always live with the regrets of not playing to the best of their ability in the biggest game of much of their careers.

Jermaine Pennant was one player who did rise to the occasion - although this is a man who has played in a Champions League final - as he battled through the pain and showed his desire throughout, but his efforts were just not enough as City outclassed the Potters.

There is no doubt the Sky Blues deserved to win the game.

Stoke had just one real chance - when Kenwyne Jones wasted a decent opportunity - and City carved out several clear cut chances. On another day they would have won by more.

It was Yaya Toure who scored the winner on 74 minutes - at the same end he scored his memorable semi-final winner against Manchester United - and he has now written his name into City folklore.

Yaya Toure's winners in the semi-final and final will live long in the memory of City fans

The image of Dennis Tueart scoring the winner in the 1976 League Cup final against Newcastle - their last major triumph - will always be imprinted in City's history but the image of Toure's winner against Stoke can now sit alongside it.

He earns mind-boggling wages, reportedly in the region of £220,000 a week, but most City fans will now tell you he is worth every penny for ending the trophy drought.

Toure celebrates with Mario Balotelli after scoring what turned out to be the winner

When he signed, fans wondered why the club would spend so much money on a defensive midfielder, but Toure has now proved beyond any doubt that he is not a holding player and he is a box-to-box midfielder who is a real goal threat.

He scored the winner in both the semi-final and the final so his status at Eastlands will be higher than any of his team-mates, with murmurings about his wages growing quieter with every passing game.

This was for his brother, Kolo, sitting in the stands after being banned for failing a drugs test. Yaya did him proud with an immense display from start to finish.

Having said that, Stoke fans would argue he shouldn't have been on the pitch to score the winner.

His second half horror challenge on Andy Wilkinson was so reckless it could be described as an assault. He was incredibly late and many would say he showed intent to hurt Wilkinson, and he was very lucky to remain on the pitch.

Referee Martin Atkinson had a very good game on the whole, but he also missed a near-certain red card for Stoke's Robert Huth early on, as he appeared to deliberately elbow Mario Balotelli in an off-the-ball incident.

It was a mindless act by a man who had been struggling for fitness in the lead-up to the game, as a red card in the early exchanges would have left Stoke with an impossible task.

Balotelli was rightfully aggrieved by the challenge but he showed tremendous maturity to overcome his anger and produce a man-of-the-match performance.

Balotelli won the man-of-the-match award after a mature performance

Earlier in his career, perhaps just a matter of weeks ago, the red mist would have came down and a red card for Balotelli would have been on the cards, but he channelled any frustration in the most positive of ways.

He worked hard and tracked back - a responsibility he has been accused of shirking in the past - and drew a fantastic save from Thomas Sorensen to finally demonstrate why Mancini has showed so much faith in him in the past.

Flair players like Balotelli and Carlos Tevez - who was brilliant on his return from injury and whose work-rate constantly kept Stoke's defenders on their toes - will get most of the credit but unsung heroes like Nigel De Jong and Vincent Kompany deserve more than a mention.

Both were outstanding - as they have been all season - and snuffed out any Stoke threat before it had the chance to materialise into a real chance. They are just as, if not more, important than the flair players as without their solid base, there would be nothing to build on.

As briefly mentioned, Carlos Tevez made a huge difference after recovering from a hamstring injury.

Tevez has been repeatedly linked with a move over the last few months

Stoke's gamble to play a half-fit Matthew Etherington failed but Mancini's punt on Tevez certainly worked.

If Tevez is to leave in the summer, he will leave as a City icon as the first man to lift a trophy for them for 35 years.

If he stays, he could go on to become a City legend and that could be something to inspire him to remain at Eastlands as he will never be as loved as this anywhere else.

While most City players rose to the occasion and played to a high standard, one player who had an uncharacteristically off-day was David Silva.

He took time to adapt to English football but he has been sublime at times and has made the difference for City on many occasions this season, but this was certainly not one of his better days.

He missed two glorious chances, including a sitter in the first half, and he never really got going in the game and was not as composed on the ball as fans have come to expect.

It was a shame someone of his immense ability could not show it in the showpiece final but his time will come and he will be a key player for City for years to come.

Manchester City fans deserved their success but credit must also go to Stoke supporters for their excellent support before, during and after the game.

Stoke fans stuck with their side as they realise how far their club has come in recent years

They realised what a success it was for their club to simply be at Wembley playing against the mega-rich City, and they know their club is on the rise.

The unusual sight of a set of losing fans staying behind after the final whistle to see the cup lifted was a real credit to Stoke fans who deserve to win a trophy themselves in the near future.

Staying behind showed a touch of class and real respect for the efforts of their team, who must have been heartened by the tremendous support they were given.

It is hard not to feel sorry for Stoke as they never really got going in this game, but they should be immensely pleased with the work they have done in recent seasons.

The pride in Tony Pulis' face was clear to see as he led out his side at Wembley as it was unthinkable when he took charge at the Britannia Stadium that he could take them this far.

Pulis will be disappointed with the result but should take pride at his side's progression

He will be disappointed he couldn't get his hands on the silverware but that will soon subside when he realises the enormity of what he has achieved at Stoke.

Just to get them into the Premier League was remarkable, but to keep them there, stabilise them as a Premier League club, take them to the FA Cup final and secure a place in Europe is unbelievable.

Stoke fans must be in dreamland as this would have been beyond the wildest dreams of even the most optimistic of supporters just a matter of years ago.

Pulis should be a very strong contender for Manager of the Year and he does not get the praise he deserves at times, but he knows he has built something very special at Stoke and has plenty to be proud about.

But in the end, this was all about City.

This victory has taken the monkey off their backs and they can now relax in the knowledge there is not such a long trophy drought.

Now one has been won, many more are sure to follow. The sky really is the limit for them with the resources they have, so it is a fantastic time to be a City fan at the moment.

This win gives them a real platform to go on to bigger and better things, with Premier League titles and Champions Leagues surely on the agenda for the coming years.

Whether Mancini will be the man to deliver that success is another matter.

Mancini could create a dynasty at Eastlands

He is loved by City fans for bringing them this trophy and progression into the Champions League, but there are murmurings he would like to return to Italy and it remains to be seen how long City's owners will accept defensive football.

He may have to change to a more attacking style to keep his job long-term but for now he should bask in the glory of being the first City manager to win major silverware in 35 years.

His style was a major factor behind the lack of a spectacle the final turned out to be but he will not care one jot about that at the moment.

It was a similarly defensive game to some of the others seen at the new Wembley, with four of the five finals held there finishing 1-0. The last to be held at Cardiff was the 'Gerrard final', the astonishing 3-3 draw between Liverpool and West Ham which the Reds won on penalties.

That game helped breathe new life into the cup - something which has subsided in recent years - and something now needs to be done to protect the long-term future of it.

The FA Cup final should be the only focus the weekend it is played. Teams should be fined for playing weakened teams in it. The FA Cup final should kick-off at 3pm on a Saturday. Greater prize money should be given to those who do well in it. Semi-finals should not be played at Wembley. These are just some of the measures which should be introduced.

Clubs and players still have enormous respect for the FA Cup but this is declining by the year.

The final remains the glamorous occasion it always has been though and Manchester City and Stoke supporters will be very proud of their teams.

City could now go on to achieve pretty much anything they want to in the coming years and that is what their loyal fans deserve.

The Blue Moon is rising and there is no limit to how high it can go.